Madras in Monochrome

After Mumbai, there is Madras. If you’ve been visiting our blog, you know that both of us love Mumbai. We blogged about our love for the city a few times – B for Bombay and Mumbaiwala are my personal favorites.

Madras was officially named Chennai in 1996 to have a nationwide trend to using less Anglicised names. Politicians! Yes, they probably haven’t heard ‘what is in a name, a rose by any other name would still smell the same’. Is it too much to expect politicians to read Shakespeare? Oh well, as usual I digress.

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu (small geo lesson for those who don’t know India), a state in the south of India. I always tell people that India is like Europe, every state has a different language, culture & cuisine. Chennai is steeped in culture. Women wear fragrant flowers in their hair, some men (often the street vendors) wear ‘lungis’; a checkered cotton cloth worn as a wrap around skirt. Even the wealthiest of families prefer to eat out of steel tableware rather than much fancier bone china, which is easily available. The city has century old temples and is well known for it’s silk saris, gold jewelry and handicrafts. Kids grow up learning Indian classical dances and classical music. Adults are a part of singing clubs, much like choirs. Everyone takes deep pride in their background and culture.

Chennai is just one example of the colors of India! Can too many colors lead to chaos? Maybe! Black and white has it’s own charm, doesn’t it? It hides the flaws and almost gives an alluring characteristic, making things look a bit enchanting. This got us thinking, can we capture the charm of Chennai, such a vibrant, culturally rich city in black and white? Will it do justice? Sneaky Ninja used the Huawei P9’s monochrome feature to give it a shot.

Personally, I am floored by the photos. I have an attachment to Chennai, its colors and chaos. The monochrome photos from the Huawei P9 are sharp, well balanced and capture the beauty of this city well. I almost feel a bit jealous of Sneaky Ninja’s access to this phone in India & her ability to take such beautiful photos. What do you think of these photos captured on the Huawei p9?